Pest management is very complex business. It depends on information about the weather, the stage of the crop, soil fertility, and the number of pests present.

Sometimes the pests don't do what the textbooks say they should. Sometimes the scouting procedures miss spots in fields where pest damage shows up. Sometimes a small amount of damage shows up, but the yield advantage from treatment won't pay for its cost.

One of the first rules of pest management is that a low level of damage is not economic and should be tolerated. Furthermore, the alternative to pest management is insurance use of pesticides. The use of pesticides does not guarantee control of pests or profits. Besides, pesticides don't always work.

So if you're not using pest management procedures because they're not dependable, think again. Remember old granddad said, "Those undependable tractors will never replace the horse!"